The Promo King!

Promo cards had their place back in the days before the internet. What better way to show how great a card looks and feels and build interest than to release an example? These days, Topps "leaks" preview images through Twitter and Beckett, and sell sheets are available through all sorts of sources, so collectors don't need to go to a store to know what's coming soon. But back in the 1990s, manufacturers sent promos for nearly every set.

 Fleer, Donruss, and Pinnacle are all represented here. You'll notice that Fleer and Donruss provided samples of base issues (Ultra, Leaf, and Emotion-XL), while Pinnacle added promos of the multitude of inserts they shoved into their products to add value to the boxes.

You're not seeing double. You're seeing doubles. All the cards seen here were provided by Kevin (The Diamond King) as a part of yet another trade-to-be-named-later. (Thanks, Kevin!)

It's kind of funny how Beckett lists promos. Some sets get their own "Samples" set listing, while others are tacked on to the checklist at the end. Since my database is built from Beckett's listings, I find myself having to add several of these promos into my spreadsheets. So while I add more cards to the type collection, it doesn't reduce the number of cards I need. Which hurts the percentage - I'm currently at 19.69%, and my goal is 20% by the end of the year (which would be an amazing 3.1% gain since March, and about 3.5% since I moved to California last September). I'm excited, but I'll need 150-200 more cards to do it. I've got about two months! Let's make this happen!

A little video, as it seems I usually add these days.

A couple days ago, it was Moneyball. Today, Pitt-Pong.